Solitary
by Girl Who Writes
Summary: A series of one-shots based around Setsuna. Written for LJ's SMMFC. Temptation is a powerful force, one that goes hand in hand with Chaos more often than not.
1. Accompaniment

**Title:** The Sound of Solitude: Accompaniment  
**Author:** Girl Who Writes  
**Feedback:** If you feel so moved.  
**Characters:** Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto  
**Word Count:** 325  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt: **Concert  
**Genre:** Drama  
**Summary:** Setsuna never offered any particulars about her duties either; just an enigmatic smile and the occasional riddle-clue when trouble appeared.  
**Notes: **For the October round of SMFFC at livejournal, I wrote several Setsuna ficlets - the angsty, the dramatic, the silly and the downright confusing. Since they are all done and finished, I will now be promptly uploading them :D And now I will get on with finishing fics I have promised to finish :) I hope you enjoy these.  
**Disclaimer:** Naoko Takeuchi owns the characters and scenarios of Sailor Moon. I am a humble fan and thus make no profit from this venture.

* * *

Few people had ever asked her about the Time Stream, about the tasks set before her in her duty as Time Guardian. Maybe it was because she wasn't known for giving straight answers, or that talking about the fourth dimension, a metaphysical plane, confused many people.

Maybe it was preconceived ideas about Time and Space, about the duty that Pluto held.

Setsuna never offered any particulars about her duties either; just an enigmatic smile and the occasional riddle-clue when trouble appeared. There were no stories of the past, no jokes made. Just a look in her eyes, a look that was sad and knowing, perhaps even accepting for her place in the world. Perhaps she was protecting them from the solitude and grief that came with the duty at the Gates of Time – the people she cut down for seeking out the Gates; the times she has had to step in and erase incidents, choices, places and even people for want of a happy – a specific - future.

But to Setsuna, her temporal sense was a secret – something she didn't want to share; something she wanted to keep all to herself.

Time did not flow in a truly linear fashion, especially with her sixth sense of time and space. Tiny threads of time flowed and twisted around each other, almost singing as things evolved and changed. The most perfect music in the world; the notes of grief and unhappiness low and almost shadowing everything else; the strands of happiness and pleasure high and pretty but never dominating.

There were no words for what it truly sounded like; no way for her to explain it – it wasn't heard or seen, but simply there, in the back of her mind.

She had been born as the Senshi of Pluto, Guardian of Time and Space; underneath the burden and responsibility, there was the most perfect, complete concert, which always accompanied her, never ending and always reassuring.


	2. Fairies

**Title:** Fairies  
**Author:** Girl Who Writes  
**Feedback:** If you feel so moved.  
**Characters:** Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto  
**Word Count:** 519  
**Rating:** G  
**Prompt: **Fairy  
**Genre:** Humour  
**Summary:** The tall blonde racer threw her hands in the air and retreated back to the garage, muttering to herself about crazy, old time guardians whose brains had atrophied  
**Notes:** I'm not happy with this; however, the fairy prompt drove me nuts and this was the best out of a lot of bad ficlets Some Outers silliness.  
**Disclaimer:** Naoko Takeuchi owns the characters and scenarios of Sailor Moon. I am a humble fan and thus make no profit from this venture.

* * *

"There. Perfect." Setsuna knotted the last thread and held out the dress she'd been working on. In purple and white satin and tulle, with delicate wings carefully stitched onto the back of the dress.

"Oh, Setsuna-mama, it's perfect!" Hotaru clapped her hands, as Setsuna held the fairy dress up to Hotaru.

"I can't believe you're going to a Halloween party," Michiru clucked from where she was ironing clothes. "We have no reason to celebrate Halloween in Japan!"

"Aw, it's just for fun, Michiru-mama. I'm going to be the most beautiful fairy at the party," Hotaru bounced around the living room. "Do I look just like the fairies back in the Silver Millennium?"

"Who told you there were fairies in the Silver Millennium?" Haruka walked in and wrinkled her nose at the glittery costume.

"Luna told me and Chibiusa about them last time Chibiusa visited them," Hotaru replied, shimming out of her skirt so she could try on her new costume.

"Chibiusa and I," Michiru corrected absently.

"Well, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru asked, as she ignored Michiru to pull her costume on. "Do I look like a Silver Millennium fairy?"

"The fairies of the Silver Millennium were different, Hotaru," Setsuna smiled as she began packing up her sewing kit. "Very different."

"How?"

"Well, they didn't really have wings like butterflies or moths; rather, concentrated magic that formed that shape when they willed it. The colour depended on where they were from," Setsuna began. "They were very small, delicate – about the size of a child - and I never saw one without green eyes and very light coloured hair."

Hotaru nodded, entranced by the idea.

"They had very strong will power magic – they could fashion almost anything out of sheer desire – clothing, flight, elemental resources – emotional manipulation. Most of them came from Jupiter, and were very peaceful creatures. Incredible diplomats. Queen Selenity must have signed a hundred policies simply because the fairy representative knew exactly how to make it sound like a magnificent idea that was entirely Selenity's," Setsuna shook her head.

"Wow," Hotaru managed. "Were there lots?"

"No. They were born in a certain flowers on Jupiter, very rarely. I don't even remember much of it." Setsuna shrugged. "Not like the elves though."

"Elves?" Hotaru squeaked.

"Yes. Thousands of them – all tall and skinny like string beans, and all yellow skin and orange hair."

"They were from Venus?" Haruka offered.

Setsuna gave her a look. "No, Mercury, of course."

"Oh, of course," Haruka threw her hands in the air.

"One of the smartest races in existence, they apparently absorbed their colour from the sun. It was the pixies from Mars that were all blue and white."

Hotaru began to giggle at the look on Haruka's face. The tall blonde racer threw her hands in the air and retreated back to the garage, muttering to herself about crazy, old time guardians whose brains had atrophied.

"You're just teasing Haruka-papa, aren't you, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru giggled.

Setsuna smiled back and placed a wreath of tulle and beads on Hotaru's head.

"Of course. It was the fairies who came from Mercury – the pixies were from Saturn."

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	3. Old Stories

**Title:** Old Stories  
**Author:** Girl Who Writes  
**Feedback:** If you feel so moved.  
**Characters:** Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto  
**Word Count:** 1 398  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Drama  
**Summary:** "I want to hear about the Silver Millennium, Setsuna-mama."  
**Notes:** An idea from a fic I have plans to write in the future, but probably never will. Just playing around with different ideas :) And I hated the title, so I (obviously) changed it :)  
**Disclaimer:** Naoko Takeuchi owns the characters and scenarios of Sailor Moon. I am a humble fan and thus make no profit from this venture.

* * *

"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru lay cuddled up in her purple quilt, with her plush cat tucked in beside her, and her bedside lamp throwing light into the shadows, interesting shapes taking form on the lavender and white walls. "Can you tell me a story?"

"What sort of story?" Setsuna looked over the shelf of Hotaru's books – between her and Michiru's combined passion for shopping – where it was clothes and shoes, cosmetics, or the most complete collection of toys, books and clothes for their foster daughter. Maybe Haruka would have commented, if she hadn't been exactly the same way about her beloved fleet of motor vehicles that she kept in the garage.

"We never finished that one about the child with the flying chair," Setsuna pulled a book off the shelf..

"Uh-uh, I want to hear about the Silver Millennium, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru said. "Ami-chan and Usagi-chan were talking about it with Luna, and I want to hear more about it."

Setsuna frowned as she put the book on the shelf. "I'm not sure what I could tell you, Hotaru. I really only remember the politics."

"Come on Setsuna-mama, tell me a Silver Millennium story," Hotaru wheedled.

Setsuna smiled. "Okay, wriggle over." Hotaru beamed, making room for Setsuna to sit next to her on the bed.

"Once upon a time, there was a princess who lived in a castle on top of a hill. She didn't have any brothers or sisters, and got very lonely. When she was very young, it was discovered she had a very special gift."

"What sort of gift?" Hotaru rested her head on Setsuna's shoulder.

"Hmm. What sort of gift do you think it should be?" Setsuna stroked her foster daughter's hair.

"Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru huffed. "You're telling me the story!"

"She had the powers of life and death," Setsuna chuckled. "She could make seeds turn into flowers in seconds, or age a sapling a thousand years in a moment. It worked the opposite way too – a dying forest could be restored, a sickly old lady could look as young as a girl again, all with the powers of this princess.

"But she was only a little girl, and did not know how to control her powers, which were very strong. She had no mama to guide her, and her father was a very busy king, even though he loved her very much. And then, one day, the girl had an accident. She was grabbed by an older man, who wanted to rob her. The little girl panicked, the man was hurting her, and her powers were fully awakened."

"What happened?" Hotaru gasped.

"The poor man collapsed down dead, crumbling to dust. All the plants around the girl shrivelled up and died. Even one in the castle heard the blast of power. The girl could no longer control her gift, though, so everyone who tried to help her was made younger and older., flowers bloomed and died where she walked. No one knew how to help the princess."

"What did she do?" Hotaru's eyes were wide.

"She was taken to a place deep in the forest, where she could stay without hurting anyone. And it didn't matter how many times her powers killed the plants and trees, because her magic would also bring new ones to life.

So, she stayed alone for a long time, deep in the woods, in an old summer house, trying to learn how to control her gift. But with no teacher, she gave up, convinced that she would live out her life alone, in the forest."

During the story, two figures had walked past, on their way to bed before hearing a snippet of the story, both wondering who the little princess of the story was meant to be; only one planetary princess had ever had the powers over death, but Setsuna would never tell a story that would upset Hotaru…

"Finally, a far-away queen heard of the princess hidden away for fear she would hurt more people. So the queen made the long journey to find the princess in the forest, to see if she could help the girl," Setsuna continued.

"Queen Selenity?" Hotaru yawned.

Setsuna gave Hotaru a mock-offended look. "I'm trying to be subtle!"

Hotaru giggled. "Sorry."

"So, the queen found the princess hiding in the summer house and offered to help the princess learn about her powers. The queen was very powerful, and this power protected her against the princess's power of death."

"So, she learnt how to control her gift?" Hotaru asked, hopefully.

"Well, the queen used her magic to discover that the princess's gift was draining her energy – that it would kill her very soon if it wasn't bound so she could grow into her gift. But it would take a lot of magic to bind the powers of life and death; it would most likely put the queen in a coma for the rest of her life. The queen's daughter was very young – a little older than the princess – but the queen knew that she had to save the little princess.

"So she channelled all her magic into binding the princess's gift, to keep the child safe until she was ready to wield such power. The binding turned into two gold bangles on the princess's wrists that were made of pure energy."

"What happened next?" Hotaru gaped sleepily.

"Well, the queen was in a magical coma, from which she never woke from, and her young daughter became queen. Not as compassionate and lovely as her mother, but she was a good queen. The princess returned to her castle, with only as much magic as she could control. And one day, a long time in the future, she repaid her debt to the queen by saving her daughter from a wasting illness," Setsuna finished.

"Wow," Hotaru murmured, snuggling into Setsuna's side. "So, the princess used her powers to stop people from dying?"

"No. People have to die, Hotaru. It is part of life – it wouldn't be as precious if people could be saved from it. She helped people who were suffering and dying young; children, mothers… People who didn't deserve to die young."

"Does anyone deserve to die young?" Hotaru yawned, her eyes closing.

"That's a very good question. No, I don't think anyone should die young. But I do think all evil should be destroyed before it has the chance to grow," Setsuna got off the bed, tucking her in.

"That's a good answer, Setsuna-mama." Hotaru's voice was slurred with sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Hotaru."

Setsuna closed the door to Hotaru's room and faced her two room-mates.

"Wasn't that story a bit dark for Hotaru?" Haruka asked incredulously.

"She wanted a story from the Silver Millennium," Setsuna said, crossing her arms over her chest. "The fairy tales we tell children in this age started as dark, ugly stories. At least my story wasn't like that."

"But to hear that Saturn a man when she couldn't control the power of Saturn, Setsuna?" Michiru protested, her maternal streak rearing its head.

"It wasn't about Saturn, Michiru," Setsuna said, "the queen in that story died and left her young daughter. And the Saturn power never manifests in that way – well, it never has. Maybe it will in the future."

"So… who was the princess?" Haruka looked confused.

Setsuna smiled. "She asked for a Silver Millennium story – not a story about us in the Silver Millennium ; it was an old fairy tale that used to be told to remind children to do what is right. Not a very good one, either, I'm afraid, but the only one I could remember."

"That was sly," Haruka grinned and then yawned. "I'm going to bed."

"Feeling your old age, Haruka?" Michiru grinned, wrapping an arm around the blonde's waist. "Good night, Setsuna." As the couple walked down the hallway, Michiru shot Setsuna a knowing look over her shoulder.

Setsuna smiled and flicked off the hallway light, retreating to her bedroom. Not bothering to turn the lamp on. Rather, she stood in front of the mirror, holding out her hands. And a very faint gold energy crackled around both of Setsuna's wrists – almost unbound.

All fairy tales have to come from somewhere, Setsuna mused as she touched the band of energy around one wrist and the energy twisted around her fingers before dropping back around one wrist. And they didn't always have proper endings.

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	4. To Be Bound

**Title:** To Be Bound  
**Author:** Girl Who Writes  
**Feedback:** If you feel so moved.  
**Characters:** Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto  
**Word Count:** 447  
**Rating:** PG  
**Prompt:** Bondage  
**Genre:** Drama  
**Summary:** Bondage; the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power or control - "You wear the Moon Queen's fuku, and so you bow to her."  
**Warnings:** Dark undertones.  
**Notes:** An AUish look at Queen Selenity's rule during the Silver Millennium because, frankly, she was a politician, and they aren't the most honest people in the world. And mostly because Pluto has so much potential as a seriously powerful character in her own right. wanders away to work on a Setsuna saga  
**Disclaimer:** Naoko Takeuchi owns the characters and scenarios of Sailor Moon. I am a humble fan and thus make no profit from this venture.

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_Bondage; the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power or control._

She never understood what right made her duty truly right. She had the luck to be born a princess and a senshi, to have the power of Time and Space, to fight for what was right.

But how did she know what was right? She could manipulate time, yes, but why should she take someone's life for a certain future? Selenity's vision of love and peace, of a utopia, but what made that the right future? What made her bow to Queen Selenity and the Moon Kingdom? Should she not be a neutral observer, doing what did not consciously benefit any one person?

She asked, once, a solemn child half the height of her staff, why she should protect the Royal family's future within the Time Line, why she should take orders from a woman who played all her emotions and plans close to the vest.

She asked, staring up at her mentor, her crimson eyes wide.

"You wear the Moon Queen's fuku, and so you bow to her," he replied flatly.

"But, it doesn't feel right…" Young Pluto said, twirling her staff in both hands. The monk stared at her and then knelt before the child, his hands gripping her shoulders tight.

"Listen to me, young princess. Do not question your place in this world. Do not question your powers. Queen Selenity will bring light and peace to the Solar System, with her power and love of her people," the monk hissed. "You speak out of line, Princess."

"But… I have the power to change things. I could make it so that Earth never exiled the People of the Moon; I could stop Earth from leaving the Alliance," Pluto replied softly.

The monk's grip tightened. "Do not think this way, Princess. You will find yourself on your knees before the Council, repenting your words against the Queen."

"I love the Queen, I do! But…"

"Princess Setsuna. You are young, and you have not yet learned that sometimes the most important questions should never be asked, let alone answered. You may have the power, but the fuku you wear, the staff you carry - they are your chains to the Moon Queen. You will be a servant to the Moon Kingdom until your deathbed." The monk released her and stood.

Pluto nodded and turned away. The Queen's influence may have stretched far across the galaxy, but Pluto's stretched backwards, to the past, and as far as time itself went. She was eternal; she would not have to bow to another's whim forever.

And until then, she would wear her chains with dignity.

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	5. Running Interference

**Title:** Running Interference: Three Times Setsuna Interfered with History (and, in hindsight, probably shouldn't have.)

**Author: **Girl Who Writes

**Feedback:** If you feel so moved.

**Characters:** Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto

**Word Count:** 1194

**Rating:** PG

**Genre:** Drama, Humour with a side of Crack.

**Summary: ** As the Guardian of Time and Space, Setsuna had to make sure certain things happened to certain people at certain times... the good, the bad and the ugly.

**Notes:** Sweet Zombie Jesus, I do not know where this came from, except that Setsuna is the Time Guardian and she must have done and seen some strange things. It was meant to be all tragic but it isn't. But then, it isn't entirely happy either. Strange is a good description. All notes are at the end, so not to scare off any readers.

**Disclaimer:**Naoko Takeuchi owns the characters and scenarios of Sailor Moon. I am a humble fan and thus make no profit from this venture.

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**One. Versailles, 1789-1792**  
_Do your duty today and repent tomorrow__ – Mark Twain_

The corset stays were pinching her. The times she most longed for the Silver Millennium were the days spent in the Queen's rooms, watching a group of over-privileged women gossip, laced into the abominable thing. She stood stiffly in the corner of the room, longing for the flowing gowns and delicate undergarments of her home. A time long gone.

It was tempting, as she dropped into another uncomfortable curtsy, to wipe corsets from fashion history this second. The palace's medical bills would drop shockingly without ladies fainting every which way.

She watched as the Queen arranged herself on an elaborate chaise, covered in blue and silver fabric, a glass of champagne in one hand, smiling at her companions – many vacuous, some genuine and quite a few being paid to recount every word to various spies.

The Queen turned her gaze to the strange woman before her. With dark hair that she refused to powder, and her darker complexion, Mademoiselle Moreau was very polite and rather excellent at designing and remaking dresses, if exceptionally quiet and rather eccentric, even for the French court's standards.

Refocusing on the conversation about France's poverty, Marie Antoinette frowned. The country was in debt and she could see no way to lighten their burden. Petting the puppy in her lap, she commented absently on something that was said to, her mind mulling over possible solutions.

Setsuna heard the comment, and excused herself, recognizing her opening.

The gardens of Versailles were astounding, and Setsuna knew she would miss this sight in the years to come. Crossing the lawn leisurely, Setsuna found herself in the presence of one of the foremost spies of the Queen's court.

"Mademoiselle Moreau," he bowed in greeting. "Not attending the Queen on this lovely day?"

Setsuna smiled, easily slipping into the role of vacuous lady in waiting. "Oh, no, the Queen has many ladies in her company, and I couldn't bear the heartless things she was saying."

_Forgive me, my Queen, for failing you in your time of need._

"Oh?"

Setsuna steeled herself. History was already written; she was merely another actor on a stage. "The ladies were informing her that the country people had no bread, and Her Majesty replied, 'then let them eat cake.'"

**Two. Cambridge, 1666**_  
There are no accidents without intention – Alex Miller_

The Moon had never had apple trees – and neither had Pluto, for that matter. The closest thing to apples had been found on Jupiter, and that fruit hadn't been quite so sweet. In fact, the taste of Earth apples (no matter how many decades had passed since the Fall) still made her mouth pucker with the sweetness. Apples were too sweet, lemons too sour. Setsuna was undoubtedly homesick for a time, rather than a place.

With her long skirt hitched up a little higher than convention would allow (honestly, Setsuna was looking forward to the 1920s), she pulled herself into the branches. This was the power of suggestion in its most perfect form. Through the leaves, she could see the young man walking in the garden. Clambering further into the tree branches, crouched uncomfortably, Setsuna was struck with the thought of the uproar that she would cause if she was discovered sitting in an apple tree with her skirt pulled up to her knees (thank gods above that she didn't have to appear in her fuku for another few centuries, when society got a little more tolerant), and a way of sadness that reminded her of the games she had played when she was a little girl, with the other girls…

He was closer now, and it was imperative that he not see her in the tree. She could see the shiny red and yellow fruit, ready to be 'helped' off its branch and into the history books.

Three… two… one…

_Thunk!_

"Ow!"

"Oh, Mister Newton, I'm so terribly sorry!"

**Three. The Underworld, unknown.**  
_I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime - __Elisabeth Kübler-Ross_

She was young. That was the first thing Setsuna noticed – or as she was known in this domain, Pluto. The girl was young, and beautiful, with glossy dark hair and expressive eyes and the soft look of someone who hasn't had to fight a day in their life.

And she wasn't dead. She wasn't living, either. Another in-between, leftover from the Silver Millennium, but without the purpose, the knowledge, the duties. No, in this world, this time, the blessed sat a top a mountain and only helped their people when they felt like it, if those that struggled prayed and worshipped them enough – and if the gods and goddesses weren't busy with their affairs of the heart.

"Who are you?" the girl's voice shook as Pluto stepped out of the shadows, her Time Staff glittering sinisterly in the dim light.

"Pluto," she replied simply, looking around. "What are you doing down here?"

"Oh, it's been horrible! I was kidnapped, dragged down here and he says that I am his wife and his Queen." And that moment would signify the invention of various swear words, but it wasn't really a moment Sailor Pluto would want to be reminded of.

Hades, another of the ones who seemed to have acquired powers that did not belong to this time nor place, was not Pluto's favourite person. Yes, he served a purpose in the underworld – her domain by birth and duty, it has to be said – but generally, he was an irritating individual who would have made an exceptional goat herder if Pluto hadn't been busy keeping the other residents of Mount Olympus in line.

And now he had abducted one of them - a pretty thing, too; there was always a bigger uproar when the pretty ones went missing. And no doubt, she would get the blame; Hades overlooked the Underworld on behalf of her, so she was responsible for whatever bout of stupidity had overtaken him.

Frankly, in moments like this, she missed Sailor Uranus' antics almost painfully. Uranus might have been far too interested in the contents of the other senshi's fuku than was strictly appropriate at court, but she'd never abducted anyone.

"What on Olympus are you wearing?" the girl made a face, and straightened the robes she wore. "You look ridiculous."

Pluto closed her eyes, a headache pounding at her temples. She wouldn't punish this girl for Hades' never-ending parade of stupid. She wouldn't. It would be unfair and cruel and… by god, would the girl stop sniveling? This was her legacy, not Hades! He had no right to bring in some child-bride to play house with!

She resisted the urge to stamp her foot, and eyed the platter of fruit on the table before the tear-stained girl, obviously left by Hades. "Persephone, is it? I shall speak with Hades about this… situation. Wait here awhile. You must be hungry." At the girl's node, Pluto offered her a thin smile. "Help yourself."

---  
_Fin_.  
---

**Notes:** All scenarios were compared to Wikipedia's notes. Not the most reliable source, but the most easily accessible. Any dates or inconsistencies, I apologize and blame Wikipedia for.

1. Marie Antoinette's supposed infamous quote "let them eat cake" has pretty much been proven not to have been said by her. Even the variations upon the statement are said to have been made before she arrived at the French court. But, hey, Setsuna's in charge of history, and certain things need to happen. :)

2. This was Isaac Newton's revelation about gravity, with the apple, if it wasn't clear I have no idea how I thought this up.

3. I've seen this scenario worked in with Pluto/Setsuna playing the role of Persephone. Frankly, the idea that the senshi descend from the Greek Gods and Goddesses never sat with me, simply because I feel that the Silver Millennium was over long before any of this. And the reference to Pluto ruling over the Underworld is that fact that the first biographies and translations of BSSM I came across listed Pluto as the Guardian of Time and Space. And the underworld is a space. Saturn, however, is the senshi of the acts of birth and death; Saturn is the cause, Pluto is the keeper, if that makes sense

If anyone made it through this fic, thank you. You deserve a medal and a cookie. :shakes head:

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	6. No Doubt

**Title:** No Doubt

**Author:** Girl Who Writes

**Feedback:** If you feel so moved.

**Characters:** Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto

**Word Count:** 255**  
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**Rating:** G**  
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**Genre:** Introspective/Dark**  
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**Summary:** If history had taught her nothing else, it was to face challenges head on, without flinching.**  
**

**Notes: **For this fic, the prompt was that the title had to be the name of a band. If I wrote smut, it would have been 'The New Pornographers'. If I'd written for Hotaru, it would have been 'Cute is What We Aim For'. Ahem. It was a really awesome prompt and if I am ever moved in the future, I might do a set for all of the SM characters. However, this is Setsuna's and No Doubt is a great band and an awesome title. And I really must get around to a nice Pluto novella, mostly because after all my torment, Setsuna deserves a serious starring role

**Disclaimer:** Naoko Takeuchi owns the characters and scenarios of Sailor Moon. I am a humble fan and thus make no profit from this venture.

* * *

If history had taught her nothing else, it was to face challenges head on, without flinching. To stare fear in the eyes and to take a step forward. A moment of weakness – a twitch in your jaw, an unconscious step backwards… these were things that lost battles, that lost wars. You could not question yourself, question your motives when faced with the enemy. If you had made it that far, any doubts had to have been buried a long time.

The Guardian Senshi hadn't truly learnt this art yet. They were still unsure – even if they didn't understand what they stood against, they should never show it. Alliances were more easily pieced back together than flesh and bone; than freedom and light. The girls still looked at the enemy with hope in their eyes, not the flat, even look of a soldier.

It did not take Neptune and Uranus long to learn. A few icy words, a hypothetical tragedy, and they are the steely soldiers she remembers. She knows it is hard, to look the darkness in the eye, to know that you win or you die, and that there is no compromise, and she hopes they can forgive her for the harsh lessons. They are soldiers first and foremost, and she cannot let them forget that; cannot lose them again to a careless mistake.

They are loyal and true, skulking in the shadows and meeting threats with cold smiles and colder eyes, and Serenity will see her throne. Pluto has no doubt in that.

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	7. Two Sides

**Title:** Two Sides  
**Author: **Girl Who Writes  
**Feedback:** If you feel so moved.  
**Characters:** Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto  
**Word Count:** 420  
**Rating:** PG**  
Prompt: **Babylon**  
Genre:** Drama  
**Summary:** Temptation is a powerful force, one that goes hand in hand with Chaos more often than not.  
**Warnings:** Dark undertones.  
**Notes:** I enjoy writing Setsuna-mind-fuck fics. I really do. Anyway, this is the last fic in this compilation. Thank you to all of my reviewers!  
**Disclaimer:** Naoko Takeuchi owns the characters and scenarios of Sailor Moon. I am a humble fan and thus make no profit from this venture.

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_Babylon:__A city or place of great luxury, sensuality, and often vice and corruption._

She watches them in the Time Stream, the bow on her fuku fluttering in the cold mists, the Time Staff lying across her lap. She is never off duty.

She watches the ladies, in their beautiful gowns – the colours of flowers, draped in precious stones – sidle up to the men, their smiles both inviting and child-like at once. She watches plates of food arranged, of music and dancing, and of young couples slip into the gardens, the heady scent of flowers, the continuous flow of wine seducing them.

She watches those young boys and girls write their own histories, with reputations rewritten behind whispers and giggles, with an unlaced bodice and a kiss that lingers. Politics goes hand in hand with the opulence of the Court of the Moon, and the pretty utopia of love and peace has a dark edge. Temptation is a powerful force, one that goes hand in hand with Chaos more often than not.

_A place of captivity or exile._

Perhaps she does not understand; she remains outside of time, in a great space of nothingness, of mists and doors, of nothing ever changing. You could bleed for a thousand years and never die here, because time does not pass, the blood does not flow.

She does not know what it is like, to be one of the girls in the flowing gowns, to have a young man stare at her as if she is the moon and stars herself, to smell the flowers and the fruit, to hear the music and to wonder what happens next as the gentleman takes her in his arms. To feel a band of gold on the fourth finger of her left hand, to feel loved and desired.

She discarded human emotions a long time ago, to serve her planet and her queen. Where there should have been hopes and dreams, friendship and trust, there was a dogmatic loyalty to her Queen, a steadiness and curiosity. Resentment for the place where she must serve is there too, but she is ashamed, and keeps that coldness in the back of her mind, punishing herself with the visions of pleasure and the camaraderie.

She watches the Guardian Princesses, with wine glasses in their hands and tall, regal Earth men on their arms, their faces lit with smiles and happiness and perhaps a little drunkenness, despite their own duties, and she really does not know who she pities more.

* * *


End file.
